Syracuse Sun

In 1974, amid the cultural backdrop of mood rings, flared pants, and popular novels like "Jaws" or "Carrie," Syracuse University witnessed a significant academic development. Five departments from the College of Arts and Sciences merged to form a new entity under the leadership of Louis W. Roberts. This unification resulted in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, which brought together classics, German, linguistics, Romance languages, and Slavic languages and literatures.

The establishment was described by then-Dean Kenneth Goodrich as “a needed synthesis of the traditional and the progressive in the field of foreign language and literature education.” The department was later renamed "Languages, Literatures and Linguistics" (LLL) in 1995 under Dean Robert Jensen to better reflect its diverse offerings.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year as a multilingual department, LLL is organizing various events including a film series this semester. Gail Bulman, professor of Spanish and LLL chair stated: “Film is a critical medium through which students can develop cultural and linguistic competencies.”

The film series showcases movies from different cultures and time periods:

October screenings include titles such as "Il Postino" (Italy), "The Three Musketeers" (France), "Le chat du rabbin" (France), among others. A Film Discussion Evening is scheduled for October 30 at Kittredge Auditorium featuring films like "There’s Still Tomorrow" (Italy) and "Perfect Days" (Germany/Japan).

November's schedule includes films like "Barbara" (Germany) on November 4th at Kittridge Auditorium, with more to follow.

For those interested in learning more about these events or seeking additional details about other celebratory activities throughout 2024 such as poetry festivals or theater performances can contact Gail Bulman directly.

Spring events planned for 2025 will be announced at a future date.